Sunday, November 4, 2018

Pakistan Summons Indian Diplomat To Condemn 'Unprovoked Firing'

Pakistan Summons Indian Diplomat To Condemn 'Unprovoked Firing'

India maintains that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Shimla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh and condemned the "unprovoked firing" on the Line of Control by Indian troops that killed a woman.

Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal summoned Singh and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces, it said.

Faisal said that the firing killed a 22-year old woman, Munazza Bibi, in Bhimbar Sector on Friday.

"The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws," Faisal said.

He claimed that the Indian forces along the Line of Control and the Working boundary are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons and carried out more than 2,312 ceasefire violations so far in 2018, resulting in the death of 35 civilians.

Faisal said this unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations.

"The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation," Faisal said.

He urged India to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations, instruct Indian forces to respect the ceasefire in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the international border.

He also urged India to permit the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per UN Security Council resolutions.

India maintains that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Shimla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control.